Lakew Kidane Goshene
Bio
Lakew Kidane Goshene was born in 1935 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He attended a religious school until age 13 and, at 17, joined the Imperial Guard in 1952. Two years later, in 1954, he deployed to Korea as part of the 4th Kagnew Battalion, attached to the U.S. 7th Infantry. During his service, he worked as a radio operator in a machine gun platoon, which he described as a peacekeeping unit. Reflecting on his experiences, Goshene spent one year in Korea and was deeply struck by the country’s progress. Upon returning in 2019 to Korea, he marveled at the dramatic transformation, noting how much South Korea had changed since his time there, far beyond what he could have imagined.
Video Clips
Korea in 1954
Lakew Kidane Goshene describes the harsh conditions he witnessed upon arriving in Korea. He recalls Korean women scavenging for wood and noted how his unit often shared their rations with civilians. Reflecting on the changes since then, he expresses amazement at how dramatically the lives of the Korean people have improved compared to the difficult circumstances he first observed.
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Modern Korea
Lakew Kidane Goshene never imagined that South Korea would become what it is today. He recalls the widespread poverty and poor living conditions in 1954. Reflecting on the transformation, he describes it as a miracle, something far beyond anything he could have imagined at the time.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHUTi_hd9rY&start=732&end=840
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https://koreanwarlegacy.org/interviews/lakew-kidane-goshene#clip-2
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